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WE would like to acknowledge the first nations people as the traditional owners of the land, air and waterways in particular the wurundjeri woiwurrung and the therrernotepanner, leterrermairrener and panniher clans.

A bit About us

SBLA studio is an award-winning landscape architecture and urban design practice. 

Diverse design experience

SBLA has decades of professional experience from large-scale public work to intimate small scale settings.

Tailored multidisciplinary service

We tailor teams to fit each brief, drawing from both our studio and network of talented cross-discipline collaborators. 

Innovative design approach

As designers we combine art, history, ecology, play and technical skill to shape sustainable, socially responsible landscapes.


 
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Bendigo Kangan Institute received a state government grant to upgrade its existing buildings and to provide a new public realm suitable for a 21st century TAFE.

 
 
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The public realm is the creation of a campus that offers a welcoming and open learning environment, via the site narrative of "upside down country" it brings the endemic landscape to the foreground through a series of gardens and courtyard spaces for staff, students and fauna.

We thank the Dja Dja Wurrung community, the Bendigo TAFE indigenous studies and art co-horts for their contributions to this project.

 
 
 

Dja Dja Wurrung Six Seasons Calendar

The jewel of this project is the Dja Dja Wurrung built Six Season Calendar. The Six Seasons Calendar creates a place that talks of Country. The design is a place to educate visitors and a tool for the TAFE indigenous studies cohort.

 

 

 
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Artworks and interpretive signage are integrated within the garden. SBLA Studio worked closely with artist Thunda to translate his artwork into brass and laser cut steel elements. We also worked closely with the art cohort (see project team for all women involved) on the black duck nest, eggs and emu eggs - made of clay and found pieces of wire and feathers.

 

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 $3,000,000 public realm, $60 million total project

PROJECT TEAM/ COLLABORATORS 

Six Seasons Calendar: Vision by Dja Dja Wurrung and Three Acres - concept to construction by SBLA Studio

Artists: Thunda, Paul Aburrow and TAFE Art Cohort

Architects: Architectus and Six Degrees

Builder: Kane constructions 

Landscape Architecture and Public Realm: SBLA Studio

Dja Dja Wurrung Six Seasons Calendar Artists:

Thunda

Lorraine Brigdale

Annie Brigdale

Gabrielle Gamble

Erin Penrose

Sandy Owen

Dianne Turner

Sue Allengame

Trina Dalton-Oogjes

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Patterned permeable paving rolled out like a Persian rug, populated with sprouting grasses and large canopy trees sits alongside a rock amphitheatre. A tactile and dramatic landscape acts as backdrop to the Collingwood Arts Precinct inhabitants.

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The Collingwood Arts Precinct is a contemporary arts space in the heart of Melbourne’s inner-north. It is located within the former grounds of the Collingwood Technical School on Johnston Street. SBLA were engaged to undertake the design and development of the public realm.

 

 

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The concept draws from the woodworking and textile history of the school. A 'future patterned' permeable paving and multi-coloured sandstone setts reference pre-existing plane tree trunks.

 

 
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The surface frames a space for people to wander, to host markets, music festivals and outdoor exhibitions whilst creating a warm and inviting ground plane.

 

 
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The Collingwood Arts Precinct is a new contemporary arts space in the heart of Melbourne’s inner-northern suburbs.

 
 

Sloyd patterns were tested to reference the steel/brick and timber manufacturing that was taught at the Technical School.

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More Info 
Client: Collingwood arts precinct
Date: July 2017 – current
Budget: $1.5m
Phase: Stage 1 complete.

Design Team:           
Simone Bliss, Gemma Peirce Cooke, Wade Trevean, Colin Chen, Sascha Martin,  Jane Fullerton

Illustrator/Artist:   Tam Bower 

Photography: Colin Chen

 
 
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A planting design that takes inspiration from windy, mountainous Australian landscapes. Dry sclerophyll planting sits on the open rooftop, whilst Australian rainforest species cascade down the Southside of the building into a welcoming arrival garden. 

 
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The Nightingale 2.0 gardens demonstrate a different approach to rooftop and vertical gardens through the use of native plants that are suited to the microclimates created by built form.

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The project draws from naturally occurring landscape systems that parallel the microclimatic condition and explores alternative plants to those typically found in urban environments.

 

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"Drawing from natural occurring landscape systems that parallel the microclimatic condition and explore alternative plants to those typically found in urban environments. The rooftop gardens provide a beautiful backdrop to the communal spaces of the development while the vertical garden delivers an enchanting cascade of stag horns that welcome resident and visitors on their arrival"

Jury citation: 2020 National AILA Award recipient for Gardens Category

 

 
 
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More info 

Client:                        
Nightingale 2.0/Six Degrees

Date: 2019
Budget: $200,000
Phase: Complete

Design Team
Simone Bliss, Gemma Pierce Cooke, Colin Chen, Rebecca White

Photography
Rory Gardiner

Awards
AILA 2020 winner of the state and national Landscape Architecture Award Garden category

 

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FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

Kate and @hallmarklandscapes have been busy completing stage 01 of Richmond high school
A patchwork of soon to be regenerated billabongs #birrarung #wurundjeriwoiwurrungcountry
Tamar valley steiner school playspace concept
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Giant kelp at King Island @core_collective
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Construction has started at future Legana Primary School! #melaleucaericifolia #kanamaluka #sblawip
Spray setout for Launceston Steiner schools new playspace. Quite fun to draw the design at 1:1 scale - complete with frog pond for endemic frog species, mud pits and future mushroom and moss gardens.
SBLA’ers are working with Hobart Womens Shelter to design a garden that aids in healing. We know the housing crisis is big however we didn’t know until recently HOW big it is in Tasmania/Lutruwita especially for women and children - so we
With some projects our hand is often unseen, invisible and in some instances is more about what isn’t done rather than what is. This is the case for Collingwood Yards - in fact many people that venture to the space have no idea we were involved
We are thrilled to announce that Bendigo TAFE won the Australian Urban Design Award for local and neighbourhood scale at the 2022 Awards. A collaboration between Architectus, SBLA Studio, Six Degrees and the Dja Dja Wurrung community and many many mo
Kate popped out so site today so see the planting setout at Richmond high school. Next step timber seating to reused concrete amphitheatre. Looking excellent @hallmarklandscapes 🌱❤️
SBLA Studio NGVC sketchbook. Fault line. A team led by KTA and DCM, a collaboration with Dan Hill, Rory Hyde, Tellart, Kath Rodwell, Arup and Buro North - this team with passion and stigma created a concept for NGVC - a gallery for all the people (
SBLA Studio NGVC sketchbook. Channel to escarpment. A team led by KTA and DCM, a collaboration with Dan Hill, Rory Hyde, Tellart, Kath Rodwell, Arup and Buro North - this team with passion and stigma created a concept for NGVC - a gallery for all t
SBLA Studio NGVC sketchbook. Water. A team led by KTA and DCM, a collaboration with Dan Hill, Rory Hyde, Tellart, Kath Rodwell, Arup and Buro North - this team with passion and stigma created a concept for NGVC - a gallery for all the people (and a
SBLA Studio NGVC sketchbook. Ode to mud. A team led by KTA and DCM, a collaboration with Dan Hill, Rory Hyde, Tellart, Kath Rodwell, Arup and Buro North - this team with passion and stigma created a concept for NGVC - a gallery for all the people (
In 2021 in Melbourne town, we were fortunate to immerse ourselves into one of the shortlisted NGV Contemporary submissions. A team led by KTA and DCM, a collaboration with Dan Hill, Rory Hyde, Tellart, Kath Rodwell, Arup and Buro North - this team w
More work in progress shots at Richmond High School. Kate has been out on site chatting with @hallmarklandscapes around texturing and interfaces between recycled from site saw cut paving, recycled from site concrete retaining walls, new concrete reta
Watercolour Thursday #picnicrugs for collage